AFC Bournemouth have announced work on their ambitious redevelopment of the Vitality Stadium will begin at the end of the season.
The Cherries first revealed plans for a £90million stadium expansion project last year, which would see their ground nearly double in size once complete.
An aerial view of AFC Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium
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Formerly known as Dean Court, the Vitality Stadium has been home to Bournemouth since 1910Credit: Getty
Currently boasting a capacity of 11,307, Bournemouth's home is the smallest in the Premier League by some distance.
It has almost 6,000 fewer seats than Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium.
However, this looks set to change soon, after the club announced the next step in their hopes to transform the Vitality Stadium.
Exciting times
After receiving initial planning permission to begin their ambitious project in January, Bournemouth then shared on Monday that they will begin work on a brand new stand in the coming months.
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At the end of the season, the South Stand will be demolished to make way for a new 3,000-seater lower tier.
This will form part of a wider stadium redevelopment over the course of the 2026/27 campaign, which will also see the venue's south-east and north-west corners be infilled.
With plans to totally modernise the 116-year-old ground, turnstiles for all stands will also be relocated to the new perimeter.
In turn, this will allow for the construction of a larger outer concourse, where a newly-built ticket office will operate.
Completing the initial renovation of the Vitality Stadium, internal refurbishment of the East and West Stands will also be carried out, creating three new hospitality spaces.
Once finished, Bournemouth's stadium size will increase by over 1,500 seats, giving it an overall capacity of almost 13,000.
Outside view of Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium
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The Vitality Stadium will soon boast a more modern lookCredit: Getty
The club confirmed the news in an official statement, whilst also confirming that building work will continue throughout the 2026/27 campaign.
Currently, the redevelopment is subject to planning permission, with this set to go to planning committee for approval in early May.
Cherry on the cake
Bournemouth's huge plans won't stop after the initial stadium work is complete.
In the same statement, the Premier League outfit revealed the remaining corner infills, and extensions to the ground's North and East stands will begin during the close season in 2027.
This will result in a final capacity of approximately 20,200, seeing the Vitality overtake Brentford's Gtech ground in terms of stadium size.
Bournemouth's need for a bigger venue has become increasingly clear in recent years, with the club going from strength to strength in England's top-flight.
Bournemouth's Amine Adli celebrates after scoring against Everton
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Bournemouth are enjoying a fine season, despite losing a number of key players in the summer and winter transfer windowsCredit: Getty
Premier League stadiums by capacity
Old Trafford (Manchester United): 74,197
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Tottenham Hotspur): 62,850
London Stadium (West Ham United): 62,500
Anfield (Liverpool): 61,276
Emirates Stadium (Arsenal): 60,704
Etihad Stadium (Manchester City): 52,900
Hill Dickinson Stadium (Everton): 52,769
St. James' Park (Newcastle United): 52,258
Stadium of Light (Sunderland): 49,000
Villa Park (Aston Villa): 42,918
Stamford Bridge (Chelsea): 40,173
Elland Road (Leeds United): 37,645
The American Express Stadium (AMEX) (Brighton & Hove Albion): 31,876
Molineux Stadium (Wolverhampton Wanderers): 31,750
The City Ground (Nottingham Forest): 30,404
Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace): 25,194
Craven Cottage (Fulham): 24,500
Turf Moor (Burnley): 21,944
Gtech Community Stadium (Brentford): 17,250
Vitality Stadium (AFC Bournemouth): 11,307*
*at current capacity. Would move to 19th with upgrade plans.
After years in the lower tiers, the Cherries have become an established Premier League outfit since their first promotion from the Championship in 2015.
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Last season, they recorded their joint best-ever league finish, ending the campaign in ninth-place.
This term, Andoni Iraola's side currently sit eighth in the Premier League table, and have a real chance of European qualification.